Dr. Anthony Thomas was born on April 13, 1934 in the South Indian town of Tiruchirappalli. He was the youngest of four brothers and always possessed an inquisitive mind. Realizing his brilliance and intelligence, his family encouraged him to pursue higher studies. He graduated from St Joseph’s College in Tiruchirappalli and went on to get his masters, and his doctorate in Instrumentation from Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.
Throughout his career as a scientist in Indian Institute of Science, he followed his passion for research in alternative energy sources, especially solar energy, resulting in him traveling to various countries such as USA, Italy, Poland and England, to name a few, on scientific collaboration.
He married Manjula when he was thirty two years old and found a wonderful life partner in her. He had a marriage filled with joy, love, and support. He had two children – the oldest a daughter Leena followed by a son Satish – with whom he would eventually live with in the latter years of his life. Manjula passed away in 2011, and he was deeply affected by it.
Anthony was not only a scientist, but a good administrator too. He served as College Principal for Karunya Institute of Technology and enjoyed teaching and interacting with the students.
Following his wife’s death, he chose to move to Tulsa to live with his son. He wanted to be close to his family and to spend as much time as possible with his four granddaughters. Given his inquisitive mind and curiosity, he started taking interest in Theology after his move to Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was an avid reader and an accomplished writer. He spent his retired years reading and publishing papers on Christianity, and in the process, he acquired additional Ph.D degrees.
He was a teacher, a mentor, and a friend with a gentle spirit. He was a generous soul with a big heart, and many came to seek his advice and find solace in his kind and wise words. Throughout his lifetime, Anthony was loved dearly by a host of friends, relatives, and colleagues.
He is survived by his two children: Leena Lourduraj and her husband, Lawrence, and Satish Thomas and his wife, Sailatha; his four grandchildren: Divya, Kanchan, Sophia, and Natalie; and Sailatha’s mother: Chandrika, who became like a sister to Anthony. He will be deeply missed by his family.
